How Squishy Are Your Cells?

Our guest this week, Dr. Alexandru-Emil Matei, is the first author of a study that endeavored to evaluate immune cell activation in scleroderma. His study, written for the completion of his medical training in Romania is titled: "Identification of a Distinct Monocyte-Driven Signature in Systemic Sclerosis Using Biophysical Phenotyping of Circulating Immune Cells" (recently published in "Arthritis & Rheumatology") performed biophysical phenotyping of circulating immune cells by employing a novel high-throughput method called 'real-time fluorescence and deformability cytometry' (RT-FDC). Dr. Matei's study attempts to demonstrate that RT-FDC measures can "detect changes in the biophysical properties of individual immune cell populations in SSc patients". If demonstrated, then RT-FDC may be used as another tool in identifying pathologic immune cell activation, being that immune cells like monocytes play a major role in systemic sclerosis (SSc).